Total and regional bone mineral densities in women with Colles' fractures: a comparative study with normal matched controls.

Total body and regional bone mineral densities (BMDs) were measured in 34 women with past Colles' fracture and 34 age- and sex-matched controls using the Norland XR-26 dual energy X-ray bone densitometer. The results showed that in patients with Colles' fracture affecting the left forearms, the BMD at the ultradistal 2.5 cm region was significantly lower in the right forearm when compared with the left. This difference was not statistically significant among patients with fractures affecting the right or both forearms. The patients were also found to have lower BMDs in the femoral regions (0.600 +/- 0.010 g/cm2 in patients versus 0.655 +/- 0.019 g/cm2 in controls), pelvis (0.679 +/- 0.009 g/cm2 in patients versus 0.728 +/- 0.020 g/cm2 in controls) and spine (0.710 +/- 0.018 g/cm2 in patients versus 0.780 +/- 0.030 g/cm2 in controls) when compared with the controls. No such difference could be demonstrated in the head, trunks or arms. These data suggested that women with past Colles' fracture might be more prone to fractures of spine and femoral regions. Bone mineral densities in the weight-bearing regions, including femur and spine correlated strongly with each other (femoral neck versus lumbar spine, r = 0.64, p < 0.0001). Sites from the same anatomic regions, namely the femoral regions had highly correlated BMD values (femoral neck versus Ward's triangle, r = 0.91, SEE = 0.05, p < 0.0001), while poorer correlation was found among unrelated regions, such as between left ultradistal forearm and femoral neck (r = 0.43, SEE = 0.10, p < 0.05).